Columbia Bank, a subsidiary of Columbia Banking System, opened its first commercial office and retail branch in Colorado Springs. The new location expands Columbia’s Colorado footprint and strengthens its ability to serve businesses, consumers and nonprofit organizations throughout Southern Colorado.
Columbia has been operating in Colorado Springs since 2023 with the addition of Southern Colorado market director Alex Sullivan. Under Sullivan’s leadership, the bank has established a strong deposit base on the strength of its full suite of services, including treasury management, commercial card services, debt capital markets, foreign exchange banking, and C&I and commercial real estate lending.
“Columbia Bank has seen tremendous momentum in Colorado Springs even without a physical location, which speaks to the strength of this market and the relationships we’ve built here,” Tory Nixon, president of Columbia, said. “Opening a commercial office and full-service retail branch allows us to deepen our commitment to local businesses and better serve the community. Our focus on local decision-making and long-term relationships continues to resonate with business owners and operators across the region.”
Columbia Bank entered the Colorado market in 2022 under the leadership of Mountain West Regional Director Shawn Thompson. In 2025, the bank opened its first Colorado retail branch and now has four offices between its Denver and Colorado Springs commercial and retail banking spaces. Columbia Private Trust, a division of Columbia Bank with $19 billion in assets under custody, is also based in Denver.
The Colorado Springs Commercial Banking Center will be led by Sullivan, who previously held several positions at UMB Bank and played a prominent role in the City of Champions economic development initiative that brought five distinct sports and entertainment venues to Colorado Springs.
“Since entering Colorado, Columbia has built a strong local team that offers businesses a personalized banking experience backed by our broad capabilities,” Thompson said. “Alex was our first leader in Colorado Springs, and his success building our commercial banking presence over the past two years helped make this branch opening possible.”
Located in the downtown Trolley District, Columbia’s first Colorado Springs location combines commercial and retail banking services in a 5,500-square-foot facility. The local team and bank leaders welcomed community members to a grand opening celebration on July 15.
